In this chapter, Huck and Jim come across a boat that is set to sink in the Mississippi. Huck boards the boat and discovers a small gang of criminals aboard discussing the fate of one member of the gang.

This member of the gang has betrayed his group and is going to be killed.

Huck returns to Jim and discovers that the raft has gotten away. They are forced to steal the criminals' boat. In doing so, they acquire some gold pieces. Huck and Jim don't do anything with the gold immediately.

Huck does, however, immediately attempt to help the men trapped on the sinking boat. He fails in this effort and feels bad that the men probably died on board the boat as it sunk.